Filing-envelop.



' F. H. JOHNSON.

FILING ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED IIAII.23. Isls.

om 2 W N m n m P FRANKLIN H. JOHNSON, 0F AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LYON lVlll'IALLIC MAN U- JFACTU'JRING COMPANY, OF

AURORA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS..

FILING-ENVELOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N ov. 218, IOI.

Application led March 23, 1916. Serial No. 86,181.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN H. JOHN- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Filing-Envelops, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to envelops, more especially for filing purposes. In order to explain the nature of my' invention, I will describe one advantageous use to which it may be put. It is customary for merchants to send out catalogues which the merchant intends shall be kept by the recipient who is a prospective customer. These catalogues are frequently expensive and contain data and information calculated to benefit both the seller and the-purchaser, but the prospective customer may not have immediate need for the goods advertised he would gladly preserve the catalogue, he is apt to destroy it or throw it away simply for the lack of convenient meansfor storing it and for having it immediately accessible in a well known place when the time comes for him to use it. Card'iles or index files of standard sizes are possessed by innumerable enterprising business concerns, but these files have not been adapted for the accommodation of catalogues, nor ready reference thereto.

The object of my invention in its broadest aspect is to provide means for rendering such catalogues, booklets and brochures accessible for immediate reference with as much ease and certainty as any other article in a standard index file. In a narrower aspect, it is my purpose to provide a container for a catalogue or booklet which, when arriving at its destination, may be opened without injury, and when in open condition is t to take its place in a standard file as one of the indexed articles of said tile, said container still maintaining its ability to contain the article which is inclosed during transmission from the seller to the prospective buyer.r

I accomplish my object by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure 1 is a perspective view of the back of an envelop embodying my invention. In this figure the envelop is shown in open position as it will appear in use in the file. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the back and although of an envelop embodying my invention, the same being shown in closed position as it will be transmitted through the mails or by messenger. Fig. 3 is a perspective of a file utilizing my invention.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Ihe envelopv has a body l, provided with a Hap 2. The outer or free edge 3 of this flap vis substantially parallel with the bottom edge 4 of the envelop. rIhe envelop when closed is rectangular in outline. An indexing strip 5 is formed at the outer edge of the flap and has a suitably designated space 6 for the receptionof the name and address -of the sender ofthe catalogue, or whatever is contained within the envelop. The outer edge of the strip `5 is parallel to the bottom of the envelop and the shape and size of the envelop, flap and strip is such, and the location of when the envelop is in open condition, as

Y shown in Fig. l, the outline will conform to the cards of some standard size of index. 'Io illustrate: A 7x10 catalogue may appropriately be mailed in an envelop approximately 12 in. long and approximately 9 in. high from the bottom edge of the envelop to the upper edge of the flap when open. For such an envelop the flap may appropriately belin. deep, but it will be understood that these sizes are a matter of choice, it being the policy of the sender to employ an envelop, which, when open, will conform to some commonly accepted or standard size of file.

In the preferred construction, the parts of the envelop above described are all integral with each other, the material itself eing comparatively stiffV and the flap being scored or otherwise rendered partially flexible at the juncture of the flap to the body of the envelop.

A suitable fastening device is employed for holding contents within the envelop during transmission and this fastening device is of a kind which will permit the envelop to be opened without damage to it. An advantageous form of fastener 1s shown in Figs. l and 2; this consisting of two disks 7 and 8 fastened to the back of the body face of the Hap and adapted to frietionally engage a string 9 in the well known manner.

After the catalogue or booklet has been the strip is such that` of the envelop and to the outside surinserted at the oflice of the sender, the envelop is closed as in Fig. 2 and then transmitted to the prospective customer. The customer, upon receipt, opens the envelop by unfastening the string and is then free to examine the contents. If the catalogue or booklet is one which the customer Wishes to keep, lie reinserts the contents, or so much thereof as he may Wish to keep, opens up the flap as shown in Fig. 2 and inserts the Whole in the file box or davver 10 in the manner indicated in. Fig. 3. Under these conditions the naine of the sender appears on the index strip 6 in the same relative position in the boxthat the other index strips occupy and thereupon the catalogue becomes available at any time for reference and loccupies but a small compass. These advantages influence they recipient to preserve the catalogue, to his own and to the senders advantage, and many catalogues are thus kept Which would otherwise be destroyed. The recipient does not `have even the trouble of placing the indicia upon the index strip for this, under normal conditions, Will be done for him by the sender. As this matter VWill ordinarily be printed, it can be done at very little ex# pense per envelop and, being printed, will be very legibleV and even attractive in appearance.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An envelop having a flap at the topA adapted to fold against the body of the envelop to thereby form a cIosure for the envelop, said flap having a suitably designated space on the inner surface for indicia, Whereby, Wheni the flap is closed the indicia are covered and when the flap is in upstanding position the indicia appear above the body of the envelop and on the same side as the opening of the envelop.

2. An venvelop having a flap at the top adapted to fold down against the body of the envelop,to close it, and an index strip on the flap arranged to stand upright When the iap is open and upright, the indicia tov bearing surface of the strip being on the inside to consequently be covered When the flap is closed and to be exhibited above the opening of the envelop When the flap is upstanding, the top edge of the .index strip being parallel to the line of fold of the flap.

3. A mailing envelop closed at the bottom and ends and having a flap at the top adapted to fold over the opening of the envelop, an index strip on said flap, said strip standing upright when the iap is open and upright, the upper edge of the strip being parallel to the line of fold of the flap, and a fastening device for said Hap, a part of said fastening device engaging the index strip and passing over the outside thereof.

el. An envelop having a flap provided with an indexing strip rising from its outer edge, the outer edges of the strip and of the remainder of the flap being parallel to the bottom of the envelop, the index strip having an unobstructed space for the indicia on the inner surface of the strip whereby the indicia are protected and covered when the envelop is closed.

5. An envelop having a flap provided with an indexing strip rising from its outer edge, the outer edges of the strip and of the remainder of the flap being parallel to the bottom of the envelop, the index strip having a suitably designated space for the indicia on the inner surface of the strip Whereby the indicia are protected and covered When the envelop is closed, and means for fastening and unfastening the envelop without damage thereto.

6. An envelop having a flap provided With an indexing strip rising from its outer edge, the outer edges of the strip and of the remainder of the flap being parallel to the bottom of the envelop, the index strip having a suitably designated space for the indicia on the inner surface of the strip Whereby the indicia are protected and covered.

when the envelop is closed, and means for fastening and unfastening the envelop with! out damage thereto, said fastening means coming on the outside of the flap to thereby avoid interfering With the viewing of the indicia When the envelop is open.

VIn Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

FRANKLIN H. JOHNSON: 

